Middle English Dictionary Entry
dō n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dō n. Also doe & (N) da. Pl. dōn, dōes, dāes. |
| Etymology | OE dā |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The female of the fallow deer (Dama dama); (b) the fallow deer, male or female, old or young; (c) dauncen as a ~, to leap or run like a deer; wenden like as a ~, go like a deer; swifter than a ~; (d) ~ bukke, a male fallow deer; ~ skin, the skin of a doe.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Eust.(LdMisc 108)12 : To cachche hert and bocke and don.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)711 : Deym, deyme, et conyz: Buk, doo, and conye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1300 : Sche sih..The buck, the do, the hert, the hinde, the madle go with the femele.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1978 : With Hert and Hynde, and buck and doo.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1159 : Þe does dryuen..to þe depe sladez.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2027 : He [þe lyoun] met a barayn da, And ful sone he gan hir sla.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)105/17 : All maner of wylde bestez of wenery, as hertez and hyndez, bukk and da, and rae.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)143/8 : Wilde swyne..dappeld and spotted, as it ware founez of daes.
- c1425 Twiti Venery(1) Prol.(Vsp B.12)150 : Ther ben othyr bestis v of chase: The buk..the do..the martyn..the roo.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)429 : Of founes, sowres, bukkes, does Was ful the woode.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)3727 : Hert and hynde, buk and doo..reyndere and the dredful roo.
- (1467) in Black Leathersellers32 : Felles of..Herte, Hynde, Bukke, Doo, Roo.
- a1475 Holy berith beris (Hrl 5396)p.94 : Holy hat berys as rede as any rose..the hunters kepe hem fro the doo [read: doos].
b
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543 : Damma uel dammula: do.
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)411 : Dammula: do i. deim uel deime.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Prov.6.5 : Be thou rauyschid as a doo [WB(1): foun; L damula] fro the hond, and as a bridde fro aspiyngis of the foulere.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)124 : Doo, wylde beste: Dama.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)759 : Hic vel hec dama: a doo.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)345 : Þoȝ þou daunce as any do..when þou no fyrre may..Þou moste abyde þat he schal deme.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)188 : I dawnse doun as a doo be dalys ful derne.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)292 : Whan they flede home..they wente lyke as a doo.
- c1500(?a1475) St.Marg.(3) (Ashm 61)390 : Som are swyfter þan a do, And some are suyfter þan a ro.
d
- (1425-6) Red Paper Bk.Colchester49 : Many diverse hides..bolehides, calvesskynnes, shepysskynnes, bukkysskynnes, doesskynnes.
- (1456-7) Acc.Tintinhull in Som.RS 4187 : In una pelle de doeskyne pro eisdem libris.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)759/13 : Hic damus: a dobuk.
2.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1190) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.197 : Robertus le do.
- (1242-3) Bk.of Fees767 : Willelmus Do.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3221 : Matilda La Do.
- (1332) Sub.R.Lan.in LCRS 31.264 : Henricus le Daa.